This is seriously the best chili recipe (if I do say so myself). It’s a classic beef chili with a comforting blend of meaty richness simmered with hearty vegetables and warming spices that will have your family begging for seconds.
The Best Chili I’ve Ever Had — Here’s Why
Based on everyone’s reviews below, I think it’s safe to say that this is an award-winning chili recipe. It has the perfect hearty texture, the best blend of spices, and it’s a cinch to make. That’s why it’s one of my favorite one-pot meals to make when the temperature drops. Each spoonful instantly puts a smile on my face and reminds me of just how good simple comfort foods can be. Here’s what else you’ll love about my version:
- I added a secret ingredient. And that’s bacon! It’s no big surprise if you know how much I love bacon, but it does add a sweet, smoky, and umami-like depth of flavor that really sets this chili apart from others.
- It’s easy, simple, and budget-friendly. These are things I always try to prioritize with my recipes without compromising on quality or flavor. And it’s why it’s perfect for serving a crowd or for weekly dinner meal prep.
- It’s extremely adaptable. I have a few ways you can tweak this recipe in the recipe card notes below. But similar to my vegetarian chili, turkey chili, or white chicken chili, you can always tweak my chili recipes to your liking.
Chili Ingredients
- Ground beef: You can buy ground beef that’s anywhere between 80% and 90% lean. I prefer 90% so I don’t have to drain any excess fat. But you could purchase 80% and then drain off any residual fat, it’s up to you.
- Bacon: Bacon adds a wonderful smoky flavor to the chili. I’d consider it the secret (or not-so-secret) ingredient!
- Beef broth: I recommend purchasing a high-quality beef broth for the best flavor.
- Dried spices: Besides the usual suspects of chili powder and cumin, I add smoked paprika for a touch of campfire flavor. You could even add a sprinkle of cayenne pepper for a little more heat.
- Tomatoes: Almost any variety of canned tomatoes in their juices will work here. But I love fire-roasted tomatoes for extra flavor.
- Beans: I’m using a combination of black beans and red kidney beans which are classics in chili, but you can use any beans you like.
Find the complete recipe with measurements below
How to Make The Best Chili
Cook the bacon. I let my bacon cook until it’s perfectly browned and crispy.
Saute the vegetables. Saute the diced onion and bell pepper with the bacon for a few minutes. This will allow the veggies to cook in that delicious bacon fat.
Brown the ground beef. Add the ground beef to the pot, cook until browned, and drain off any excess fat. Then, stir in the spices and seasonings to bring out the best flavor of the meat and veggies.
Add the tomatoes, broth, and beans. This forms the bulk of the chili. Then, give everything a good stir, and simmer the chili for about 30 minutes. The key here is to cook this low and slow, giving the chili enough time to meld all those flavors together.
Tasty Chili Toppings
- Shredded cheese or sour cream: Anything from shredded cheddar cheese to crumbled cotija or feta works well. And for sour cream, the creamy coolness plays nicely with the warm spices.
- Onions: Sliced green onions or diced red onions go perfectly with chili. If the bite of red onion is a little strong for you, run the diced onion under running water and pat dry.
- Jalapeños: If you like spiciness, diced fresh or pickled jalapeños are delicious additions.
- Cilantro or parsley: A sprinkle of chopped herbs gives a nice pop of fresh flavor.
Storage Tips
To store leftovers, let the chili cool to room temperature before placing it in storage containers. It will stay good for 4 to 5 days in the fridge. For freezing, use a freezer-safe bag or airtight container and store it for up to 3 months.
When reheating, thaw frozen chili overnight in the fridge. Then, reheat it on the stovetop or in the microwave until warmed through. If the chili thickens too much for your taste, add a splash of water or beef broth.
Common Questions
Absolutely! You can get a headstart on your chili prep by chopping the vegetables and mixing your dried spices in a separate container the day before. Even better, mix your dried chili spices in a larger quantity so you can spoon out just what you need when you need it. This is a great tip for when you’re prepping for big party days like Halloween or the Super Bowl.
Yes, you sure can. I’d recommend cooking the beef, onion, bell pepper, and garlic, in a skillet on the stove first, then transferring that to your Crockpot along with the beans, diced tomatoes, spices, and broth. Cook on high for 3 to 4 hours or low for 6 to 8 hours.
Traditional chilis are made with beans. But a chili without beans is known as Texas-style chili or chili con carne. You can also use chickpeas, lentils, or other diced veggies and maintain the same flavor profile of this classic recipe.
More Comfort Food Recipes
- Classic Meatloaf: A family favorite around here.
- Slow Cooker Pot Roast: Another comfort food classic.
- Tuscan Chicken: A chicken dinner no one can resist.
- Braised Short Ribs: This fall-apart meat is so delicious.
- Beef Tenderloin Roast: A must-make for the holidays.
- Taco Soup: Another delicious way to enjoy ground beef.
If you make this chili recipe, especially for a chili cook-off, I’d love to know how it turns out in the comment box below! Your review will help other readers in the community. And if you’re hungry for more healthy food inspiration (and exclusive content), join my free newsletter.
Description
Video
Equipment
- Le Creuset Dutch Oven My favorite pot for making chili!
Ingredients
- 4 strips bacon, sliced ½-inch thick
- 1 ½ pounds ground beef
- 1 medium yellow onion, diced
- 1 green bell pepper, diced
- 3 garlic cloves, minced
- 2 tablespoon chili powder
- 1 tablespoon ground cumin
- 2 teaspoon paprika, or smoked paprika
- 1 teaspoon dried oregano
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 2 tablespoon tomato paste
- 1 (28-ounce can) fire-roasted diced tomatoes, you can use diced or crushed tomatoes
- 1 (15-ounce can) black beans, drained and rinsed
- 1 (15-ounce can) red kidney beans, drained and rinsed
- 2 cups beef broth
- 1 bay leaf
- Optional garnish: avocado, red onion, shredded cheese or sour cream
Instructions
- Cook the bacon. Heat a large pot on medium heat, add the sliced bacon and cook until crispy, stirring occasionally and scraping any browned bits from the bottom of the pan, about 10 minutes. Reduce heat if bacon is browning too quickly.
- Cook the veggies. Add the onion and bell pepper to the pot, stirring frequently. Cook for 4 to 5 minutes or until vegetables have softened. Add the garlic and stir for another 30 seconds.
- Cook the beef. Add the ground beef, breaking into small pieces with a spatula, until cooked through. Strain off any accumulated liquid and fat from the pot.
- Add the aromatics. Reduce the heat to medium-low. Stir in the tomato paste, and dried spices, and cook until they are fragrant, about 2 minutes.
- Add the rest and simmer. Add the canned tomatoes with juices, drained beans, beef broth, and bay leaf, and give it a stir. Increase the heat to high until the chili comes to a boil. Reduce heat to medium-low and simmer for 30 minutes uncovered, stirring occasionally.
- Serve. To serve, remove bay leaf and ladle servings into individual bowls. Garnish with avocado, red onion, cheese, cilantro or other toppings (I've got ideas above).
Lisa’s Tips
- Serving Size: This recipe makes about 9 cups, enough for 6 good-sized servings.
- To store: Place cooled chili in an airtight container and store for 4 to 5 days in the fridge.
- To freeze: Use a freezer-safe bag or airtight container and store for up to 3 months in the freezer.
- To reheat: Thaw frozen chili overnight in the fridge. Then reheat on the stovetop or in the microwave, until warmed through. If the chili thickens too much for your taste, add a splash of water or beef broth.
- To control the amount of salt in your chili, choose low-sodium or unsalted beef broth, beans, canned tomatoes, and tomato paste.
- Add heat with diced jalapeno, hatch green chiles, or chipotle peppers in adobo, or 1¼ teaspoon of cayenne pepper.
- Play with other seasonings like coriander or this cajun seasoning that has a little bit of everything.
- Bacon can be tricky to slice. To make it easier, place your bacon in the freezer for at least 30 minutes to firm it up.
- You can also serve this over nachos or make chili dogs.
- Make sure to use a large pot, to accommodate all these ingredients. My favorite is the beautiful Le Creuset dutch oven you see pictured.
Nutrition
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Recipe originally published September 2020, but updated to include new information and photos for your benefit!
Very good chili. Will definitely make it again. Only change I made was cut chili powder down to 1 TBLS. Still more than enough heat.
Thrilled you loved this chili recipe, Bradley!
Made this chili last night, it was really good. I added a little bit of corn starch at the end to help thicken it up a little bit. That was a preference though since I like my chili thick
That’s a great way to thicken it up. Happy you loved this chili recipe, Wally!
This recipe has become something we make every two weeks or so (we eat a lot of soup). I make two small changes, I skip the beans because I don’t like them, and then halve the amount of canned tomatoes so just 14.5 ounces and then do a full 32 ounces of beef broth and then simmer it covered for 30 minutes so its not super thick. But this recipe, the melding of all the flavors is so good and it’s so easy to make. Thank you for the great recipe.
Thrilled to hear this chili recipe has become a staple for you, even without the beans!
We have a family chili recipe that we make quite often but I’m always on the lookout for other variations to add to our rotation. This is it’s definitely a keeper! Even my picky two year old finished his bowl. Thanks Lisa!!
Glad this chili recipe satisfied even the pickiest eater, Marie!
Don’t skip the bacon! It definitely added so much happiness to each bite. Simple and easy. Can’t mess it up! Great meal prep that was quickly eaten up by everyone. Thank you.
I couldn’t agree with you more, Aubrey! The bacon in this chili makes all the difference.
This recipe came turned out well. I liked the step by step way it’s presented.
I’m a weight loss surgery/GLP-1 patient and I can eat this recipe with my 2 sons. I didn’t have bacon, but it’s still a hit!
Happy to hear this post was easy to follow along to, Jennifer! Sounds like the whole family loves it.
Loved this recipe! Substituted beef for ground turkey. Thank you for sharing.
Glad you enjoyed this chili recipe with ground turkey instead, Angela!
I added an extra tablespoon of chipotle powder, a strip of bacon, a teaspoon of regular paprika, a little extra garlic, and an extra bay leaf, and needed a little more broth to thin it some, otherwise I stuck to the script. My wife is picky and loved it. I seared the beef in a cast iron pot as one giant patty before breaking it up to get it really nicely seared. That way I wasnt trying to separate the fat from the main pot. It was pretty fantastic !
Hi Mathew – Great to hear you and your wife enjoyed this chili recipe! Love the extra seasonings as well for a stronger depth of flavor. Enjoy!
Made this tonight and didn’t change a thing! Very good. Thank you!
Hi Dawn – Glad to hear you loved this chili recipe as is!
WAYYYYYY too spicy! Way too much onion, garlic, chili powder, etc. I had to tone it down by adding double broth, 2 more cans of beans and milk! Otherwise, the flavors were nice, especially with the smoked paprika I used. Won’t make again – but will look for a similar recipe without the super fire.
Are you also the kind of white people who finds mayo to be spicy? This is pretty mild, I’d suggest adding some extra chili powder (I did an extra tablespoon of chipotle and an extra teaspoon of regular paprika). Either you did something wrong, or you’ve got a poorly developed palette.
Mathew, your comment was racist and completely uncalled for. As my son would say, everyone has different tastebuds. The great thing about recipes is that they can be altered and still make people happy. Be kind, take a deep breath, and spice up your recipe not your comments.
This is truly the best chili I have ever had. I have made it with and without the fire-roasted tomatoes. In a pinch regular diced tomatoes are great but the fire-roasted tomatoes really make all of the difference. This is my second favorite freezer lunch. Not only is it delicious, it freezes beautifully.
Yay, so thrilled that you love this chili, Sherri!
I made this chili for dinner last night and it was wonderful, especially the with the cold weather we’ve been having. I know the leftovers will be even better. Thanks for the great recipe, Lisa!
You can’t beat a big pot of chili on a cold, winter day! Glad you loved this recipe, Alan.
The most satisfying chili ever due to the depth of the flavors! Thank you so much! An instant favorite!!!
Thrilled to hear this chili recipe was an instant favorite! It’s all about the layers of flavor in this recipe. Enjoy, Kim!
I followed the recipe exactly and it is so good. Very tasty. Does the nutrition data apply to 1 serving or 6 servings.
Great to hear you enjoyed this chili recipe, Shirley! The nutritional information will always be per serving.
Hi Lisa! I’m a huge fan of yours, and so far I’ve tried your chicken masala and chili recipes. Your charisma and positive spirit and outlook on life inspires me greatly. I relocated to Seoul, South Korea a few years ago, and while it takes a couple of days to get American ingredients locally, I was lucky enough to find them online, including the fire-roasted diced tomatoes. The chili I made tonight was out of this world fantastic! Thank you so much. Wishing you all the best, and I look forward to more great recipes and videos from you.
What an amazing story, Yoon! Happy to hear you’re enjoying Downshiftology recipes all the way from Korea. I can’t wait to see what else you make this year.
This chili is so good! I’ve been making it for my parents for a year now and it never gets old.
Happy to hear it’s a recipe on repeat in your house, Ashlee!
Absolutely the best! Love the addition of bacon. The only change I made was to reduce the chili powder. Definitely a keeper
Hi Darlene – I’m so glad you found a chili recipe you love! The bacon is a game-changer in this meal.
This was a HIT!! Everyone loved it and came back for seconds and thirds!!
This is such a good recipe and easy to make. Thanks Lisa.
Hi Barbara – I’m so happy to hear this chili recipe was a hit, yay!